If you've ever wondered what you could do with your love of writing or your passion for books, then you should strongly consider being an English major when you come to college. Here are 10 reasons why you should become one:
1. We actually talk about feelings and thoughts (not just theories or applications).
While yes, there are some theory articles to read depending on what courses you take, for the majority of the time, we actually discuss how books and writing impact our life.
2. If you love to read, you'll love being in the major.
There's contemporary literature, British or American lit, gender and sexuality studies, author biographies, anthologies and young adult fiction, just to name a few. And all of those can be in sub genres too -- so in other words, there's so many new books to discover.
3. If you've wanted to teach kids more about reading and writing, this may be a good major to add in with education.
There are a ton of lit studies majors who are also education majors, or at my school there's a specific title/program if you want to teach children in the study of reading and writing (ours is called Integrated Language Arts). It's definitely worth looking into!
4. The jobs are more open.
While yes, the job search itself is sometimes stressful, there are more options for you to do if you choose to major in English. You could be proficient in one genre, but also have experimented in another. Or maybe hone your craft in theory, then add in some fiction on the side. Whatever you think you might want to do, there's more than likely a job out there.
5. You'll meet like-minded people.
Some of my best friends are in my major, and I couldn't have been happier to have found people who love the arts as much as I do.
6. It's fun.
Just trust me on this.
7. You can decide which path you want to take.
If you want to focus more on fiction, there should be some classes for you take for the major; or if you want to try out a poetry class, then go for it! There's not a "right" or "wrong" way to be an English major. Each person decides their own unique path.
8. The community is amazing.
From the professors to your close-knit classmates, you'll have a lot of people in your corner to help you succeed. And that sense of community is pretty wonderful.
9. You can land cool internships.
Like Odyssey for example (that's part of the reason I was chosen to be a writer and now editor). Or even at law firms, corporate offices, downtown facilities, etc. The possibilities are endless!
10. You get to discover new pieces of yourself through art.
And what's more special than that?
